News from camp...

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Sleep away camp is the best! The best for the kids as they have so much fun. The best for the parents because they get a little break. HOWEVER it is not so fun when someone goes down for the count.

During my son's first week ever at camp four years ago, he broke his arm roller skating. My husband and I were adjusting to being kid free for the first time in ten years by hanging out in Vegas. We got the call from the camp and were horrified to find out they my little smooshie had a broken arm. They were taking him to the doctor. Luckily, it was a very minor break and they were able to put a waterproof cast on. After that, I called the camp director every single day for the rest of the session and was assured that he was fine. The smiling photos of him horseback riding and being pulled on a tube by a speedboat were proof. I figured that he would certainly be sitting on the couch with a broken arm at my house so camp was a great thing. He came back with a smelly orange cast with a million tales of camp life. He could not wait to go back.Flash forward to yesterday when my cell phone flashed the dreaded camp phone number. Uh Oh."He's fine", the camp nurse blurted out. It seems that my sweetie pie had some type of sinus thing going on. His eyes were red, his nose runny and a bad sinus headache. "We are going to take him down the street to the doctor to see if he needs anti-biotics." The one great thing about getting sick at camp is they take everything seriously. No need to start an epidemic like a few years ago when swine flu hit the camps hard. "We'll call you when we get back. Let me put him on the phone for a second". This is the other good thing about getting sick at camp, you get a free phone call (like jail). My camp only allows letter and one-way emails. No phone calls. Thank goodness because I don't think I could take a weekly call like this one.My weepy teenager than told me that he wants to come home. He hates camp and is not having fun. I wanted to curl up in a ball. I tried jokes, I tried sweetness. All I heard on the other end was light crying. He did not feel well and wants his mom. Did I mention that this one's nickname is "Johnny Drama"? Did I mention that he fools even me to believing that his is more sick than he really is? Did I mention that he faked a broken leg at age 2 1/2 so well that even the emergency room doctor could not believe that his x-ray showed nothing and it was not until my doctor-in-law told his to kick his hand that we realized that he was perfectly fine. The bottom line is that right now, I have no idea as to whether camp really sucks, if he just feels lousy or something else. Up until the phone call, I saw a bunch of great photos of him with a true smile on his face. He looked fine. I have received no letters, so who knows?It turns out, they think he is allergic to something. They loaded him up with OTC drugs and eye drops and sent him back to the cabin. I'm hoping that he feels better soon but it was a hard day for me.

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comments:

Japolina, All I could think of was Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda..remember that old song about camp?? I hope he alright and he probably is...he is just down at this time. Easy to say"don't worry"...but hey I am a mommy too, even at my age. I just hope it all works out. xoxo,Susie

Oh- I can remember some of those calls and the crier on the other end- It is heartbreaking but it is good for them to get through it, too, and see that they can manage a minor crisis without Mom. You are doing it right, Mom! xo Diana

I think you have lived in Florida so long that what ever new plants, mold and blooms...that grows where the camp is has attacked his sinus. When I moved back to Tucson I sneezed for about a year till I adjusted.If he and you can hang on for a few days I think he will be fine. Maybe he needs to find out he can survive even if he doesn't want to do it. The camp sounds really great and in control.I hope it all works out for you both.